Heath Concerns About the Misuse of Pesticides for Bed Bug Control

Hotel workers as well as consumes are being cautioned cautioned about exposure to pesticides to control bed bugs.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are alerting the public to an emerging national concern regarding misuse of pesticides to treat infestations of bed bugs and other insects indoors. Some pesticides are being applied indoors even though they are approved only for outdoor use. Even pesticides that are approved for indoor use can cause harm if over applied or not used as instructed on the product label.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of bed bug-related inquiries received by the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) over the past several years, with many involving incidents of pesticide exposure, spills, or misapplications. From January 2006-December 2010, NPIC reported 169 calls to their hotline where residents, homeowners, or pesticide applicators sprayed pesticides indoors to treat bedbugs. These cases involved pesticides that were misapplied, not intended for indoor use, or legally banned from use. Of those, 129 resulted in mild or serious health effects (including one death) for persons living in affected residences.
ATSDR warns that outdoor pesticides should not be used indoors under any circumstances. Homeowners and applicators should always carefully read the product label to make sure that:
it has an EPA registration number

• it is intended for indoor use
• it is effective against bed bugs (the label should say it is meant to be used to treat your home for bed bugs) and
• you know how to properly mix the product (if a concentrate) and where and how to apply it safely within the home.
• ....
  Jon L.Gelman of Wayne NJ, is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson).  

More About Pesticides

Workers' Compensation: Aerial spraying pesticides to fight ...

Aug 22, 2012

Based on reports from the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) arial spraying of pesticides has been mandated in Texas because of the number of reported cases of West Nile Flu. Questions are now being raised ...

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Workers' Compensation: Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in ...

Feb 14, 2012

Consistent with an enforcement trend by the EU to reduce agricultural pesticides used by 50% between 2008-2018, a French court on Monday declared U.S. biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Intentional Tort Claim Against Employer Proceeds for Pesticide

Aug 11, 2010

A US District Court in NJ is allowing a claim of injured agricultural worker to proceed against an employer directly for an intentional tort flowing from a pesticide spraying. The workers, residents of Puerto Rico, were employed ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Mother's Occupational Exposure to Pesticide Increases Child's Risk

Jul 02, 2009

A recent study by the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment of the University of Ottawa finds that an increased risk of childhood leukemia is associated with the mother's exposure at work to pesticides.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Breast cancer risk in relation to occupations with exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors

Breast implant: Mammographs: Normal breast (left) and cancerous breast (right). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Canadian, British and Scottish researchers said there was a link between breast cancer in women who work in jobs exposed to a "toxic soup" of chemicals.

"A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that mammary carcinogens and/or EDCs contribute to the incidence of breast cancer. Yet there remain gaps and limitations. This exploratory population-based case–control study contributes to one of the neglected areas: occupational risk factors for breast cancer. The identification of several important associations in this mixed industrial and agricultural population highlights the importance of occupational studies in identifying and quantifying environmental risk factors and illustrates the value of taking detailed occupational histories of cancer  patients"

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/11/22/Workplace-chemicals-up-breast-cancer-risk/UPI-51041353641959/#ixzz2D26vN0Ay

More about "Breast Cancer" and occupational exposure

Workers' Compensation: Breast Cancer Linked to Occupational ...

May 29, 2010

"Odds ratios (ORs) were increased for the usual risk factors for breast cancer and, adjusting for these, risks increased with occupational exposure to several agents, and were highest for exposures occurring before age 36 ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Breast Cancer Presumed Occupational ...

Mar 18, 2011

Fire fighters in Canada are supporting legislation that would establish a legal presumption that breast cancer is an occupationally related illness. The legislation also creates a presumption that 3 other cancers (skin, prostate ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Night Work and an Increase Risk of Cancer

Oct 26, 2012

The Danish government has begun to pay compensation benefits to women who develop breast cancer after working night shifts and irregular work hours. So far approximately 40 women have received benefits according to .

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers Compensation Benefits Awarded for Breast Cancer

Jan 12, 2011

The Nevada Supreme Court has awarded workers' compensation benefits to a firefighter who alleged that her occupational exposure at work to toxic substances caused her breast cancer. The court held that there was ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Related articles

• Certain Jobs Associated With Higher Breast Cancer Risk
• Exposure to workplace chemicals linked to increased breast cancer risk: study
• Female Breast Cancer and Blue Collar Workers
• Study spotlights high breast cancer risk for plastics workers

Today Marks the 34th Anniversary of the Love Canal Tragedy

Superfund Sites and located throughout the United States. Today marks the 34th anniversary of the "Love Canal Tragedy." Workers have been exposed to toxic substances and many have had little recourse in finding medical treatment and preventative care since most occupational disease claims are routinely denied by employers and workers' compensation insurance companies. Now delays are further hampering the cleanups.

Read more about Superfund sites

Workers' Compensation: EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Plan for the ...

Jul 27, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a plan to clean up contaminated ground water beneath the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey. The ground water was contaminated...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: EPA Encourages the Public to Comment ...

Jun 09, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to clean up contaminated ground water at the Evor Phillips Leasing Company Superfund site. The six-acre vacant site is in an industrial area of Old Bridge ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: US EPA Reaches Agreement With 70 ...

Jun 21, 2012

Superfund is the federal cleanup program established in 1980 to investigate and clean up the country's most hazardous waste sites. The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups,...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

US EPA Removes NJ Millington Asbestos Site from Super Fund List

Aug 20, 2010

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has successfully completed cleanup work at the Asbestos Dump Superfund site in Long Hill Township and Harding Township, Morris County, New Jersey and has deleted the ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Related articles

• This Is Just Plain Sick: US Consumption of Asbestos Increased 13% in 2011
• Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Clean Air Act Violations Involving Asbestos
• National Experts Call Workers Compensation System Irrational and Unjust

Passive Noise is Hazardous to Your Health

Estacion Times Square-42ST, del metro de NY
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The majority of binaural hearing losses are caused by exposure to loud noise over an extended period of time. Such occupational exposures to noisy work environments are compensable and workers' compensation benefits are common paid for such conditions.


The NY Times reports today that passive nose is becoming a major factor that is causing binaural hearing losses.



"Your ears don't get more tolerant. Your psyche gets more tolerant."
DR. GORDON HUGHES, director for clinical trials at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, on the dangers of increasingly higher noise levels in public places.

Read the complete articles:
Working or Playing Indoors, New Yorkers Face an Unabated Roar (NY Times)A Sound Tour of NY City (NY Times)
....
For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.Related Blog Posts

Workers' Compensation: Cell Phone Hearing Use Results in $1.2 ...

Mar 27, 2012

Workers suffering from noise-induced hearing loss may also experience continual ringing in the ears, called "tinnitus". In addition, workers who are exposed to noise sometimes complain of nervousness, sleeplessness and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Can You Repeat That Please?

Mar 25, 2010

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reported that an estimated 72% of all noise induced hearing losses occur in the manufacturing sector which employs 16 million people. Worse than that, most...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

OSHA Advances Recording of Musculoskeletal Disorders

Mar 23, 2011

Prior to 2001, OSHA's injury and illness logs contained a column for repetitive trauma disorders that included hearing loss and many kinds of MSDs. In 2001, OSHA proposed separating hearing loss and MSDs into two ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

California: Did Workers' Comp Reform Go Too Far?

Oct 07, 2007

Loss of an eye: California ranks lowest in the nation! Hearing loss in one ear: California ranks lowest in the nation! Loss of a foot: California ranks second lowest in the nation! Loss of a leg at hip: California ranks sixth lowest in ...

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Jack McConnell Confirmed by U.S. Senate as US District Court Judge

We are proud to announce that our national asbestos co-counsel, John J. McConnell, Jr., has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee following his nomination by President Obama to serve on the federal bench in Rhode Island. If selected, he will replace retiring U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.  

For over a quarter of a century, Jack has worked with our office in handling many cases, including asbestos litigation matters. His legal brilliance and insight as a trial attorney resulted in a verdict of $5.8 Million in a Federal court trial against Keene Corp., an asbestos producer. It was the largest single damage verdict in the US at the time. His superior negotiation ability coupled with his endless compassion for the victims of asbestos related illnesses, and their families, has resulted in the favorable resolution of hundreds of claims.

Read more about Jack McConnell’s experience and his long history of community involvement and commitment to the pursuit of justice.

Is the Cosmetic Industry the Next Tobacco or Asbestos?

Do You Want a Toxic Manicure?

The health dangers emanating from the unregulated cosmetic industry are becoming more apparent and more tragic. The serious health consequences of exposures flowing from the cosmetic industry may generate the next wave of mass tort litigation based on the predictability of emerging workers' compensation trends. 


Within the past few weeks, the carcinogenic properties of sunscreen products, which are advertised to inhibit cancer, have been reported to possibly causing it themselves. The generic and plan properties of the sun screens have been polluted by the carcinogenic properties of fragrances that have been reported to cause cancer themselves.


The Safe Cosmetics Act, now under consideration by Congress, will help protect workers' health.  The proposed legislation would establish a Center for Postmarket Drug Safety and Effectiveness.


Additionally,  The Protection America's Workers Act provides additional safeguards to workers. Thhe proposed legislation will:


*Expand workplace protections to state, county, municipal, and federal
employees who are not currently covered by the Occupational Safety and
Health Act

* Increase financial penalties for those who kill or endanger workers

* Strengthen criminal penalties to make felony charges available
for willful negligence causing death or serious injury

* Expand OSHA coverage to millions of employees who fall through
the cracks (like airline and railroad workers)

* Provide protection for whistleblowers

* Give employees the right to refuse hazardous work that may kill them

* Improve the rights of workers and families, requiring OSHA to
investigate all cases of death

* Prohibit employers from discouraging reporting of injury or illness

The Cosmetics industry has far too long relied upon a self-insurance schema and a lobbying effort  to protect its fortunes and not its workers. Emerging litigation in the workers' compensation arena traditionally explodes into mass torts. This has been the historical pattern evidenced by asbestos, tobacco and latex. The initial claims have already been successfully prosecuted for injured workers exposed to fragrances. Hopefully the next wave can be avoided and quick government regulation of the cosmetic and fragrance industry can avoid the inevitable and the workplace can be made safer.


Click here to read more about cosmetics and fragrances and workers compensation.


Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900.

How to Register for the NIOSH Oil Spill Workers Voluntary Roster for Health Monitoring

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is developing a voluntary roster of response workers to create a record of those who have participated in cleanup activities and a mechanism to contact them about possible work-related symptoms of illness or injury, as needed. The Unified Command and BP support the roster and the goal of identifying all workers, including volunteers, involved in all response/cleanup activities. Workers have the opportunity to be rostered during training and at established staging areas (locations to which trained workers report for duty each day) in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. NIOSH also is rostering response workers online through a secure web site. NIOSH has provided the secure link to multiple federal agencies and BP, and has asked them to refer workers to the web site to complete the rostering form electronically.

As of July 15, 2010 over 38,778 workers have registered on the NIOSH roster.

NIOSH has requested that all cleanup workers and volunteers register for the following reasons:

"We know that workers may be potentially exposed to things in an oil spill cleanup: such as oils, volatile organic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, diesel fumes, heat, noise, and heavy lifting.

"We know that training will help provide information to workers about these exposures, and we are interested in what training workers receive.

"We want to gather information from workers involved in cleanup, so that after cleanup is over, we can see if workers experienced any symptoms related to the oil spill work. Oil spill exposures may cause some workers to experience symptoms like skin rash, throat irritation and cough, and back pain. We do not know if these symptoms will occur or if they do, what will be the extent of these symptoms. We want to learn as much as we can in order to reduce symptoms now and in the future.

"Documenting symptoms in this incident may provide information that NIOSH can use to protect the health of workers in this clean up and in future clean-up efforts.

Click here for the Roster Form.

To read more about federalization and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900.

Synchronizing Federal Care for Oil Spill Workers

The need for coordination of Federal benefits for oil spill workers is now becoming a major concern. It is becoming more apparent, by the day, that the State programs are now stretched beyond their limits to respond to the crisis. As The Path To Federalization expands, this debate will expand.

A recent study by the Center for American Progress addresses these concerns.


"Health threats from the oil spill may linger unseen, perhaps for more than a generation. And we will not be fully prepared to address the public health problems that arise in the future unless there is an effective and coordinated handover of responsibilities for protecting public health from the emergency response agencies to agencies with the capability and capacity for long-term monitoring and management. Federal agencies have been pulled in as needed in the gulf spill response, but it’s not clear that the Health and Human Services response has been synchronized from the top to ensure effective delivery and coordination."


"In short, the spill reiterates why we need to better manage the short- and longterm responses required to address the public health threats such disasters pose whether they are manmade or due to natural causes."

To read more about federalization and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900.

NIOSH Targets the Safety and Health of Oil Spill Workers

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) added further resources to its web page on occupational safety and health issues associated with the Deepwater Horizon Response in the Gulf of Mexico. This is an expansion of the Federal government' s plan to design an oil spill compensation fund.  The new additions provide NIOSH's updated, science-based interim findings and recommendations to help protect the safety and health of Deepwater Horizon Response workers:

• “Interim Guidance for Protecting Deepwater Horizon Response Workers and Volunteers.”www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/protecting/ This document recommends interim measures under a comprehensive approach for protecting the health and safety of the response workers in the Gulf. Recommendations will be updated as more information about exposures is collected and assessed in relationship to the incidence and prevalence of symptoms, illnesses and injuries. (Added June 25.)
• A table of respiratory protection recommendations for Deepwater Horizon Response workers – at a glance. (Added June 25.)www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/pperecsumm.html
  
• “Staying Safe and Healthy on the Job” – concise tips for Deepwater Horizon Response workers, in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. (Added June 29.) www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/dwhworkertips.html
  
• The first of a series of interim reports from the NIOSH health hazard evaluation of response workers. (Added June 25.)www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/gulfspillhhe.html
  
• A NIOSH report of BP injury and illness data, updated as of June 30. This report is designed to provide a basic overview of illnesses and injuries reported by responders involved in the Deepwater Horizon response. It will be updated on a regular basis as new data becomes available. The data utilized to produce the report was provided to NIOSH by BP safety officials.www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/data.html
  
• Also added on June 25 was a copy of a NIOSH presentation regarding the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon Response health issues, from a June 22-23 workshop by the Institute of Medicine.www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/pdfs/IOMNIOSHPresentation.pdf

NIOSH also updated statistics from its work in developing a voluntary roster of Deepwater Horizon Response workers. With the roster, NIOSH will have a record of those who have participated in cleanup activities, and a mechanism to contact them about possible work-related symptoms of illness or injury, as needed. As of June 30, 2010, NIOSH had rostered 26,289 response workers.www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/workerroster.html

Additional NIOSH information and resources about the Deepwater Horizon Response can be found atwww.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/.

To read more about petroleum exposure and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900.

Gulf Oil Spill Forecast to Involve The US East Coast

The  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH) has just released a dismal projection that there was a high probability that the Gulf Oil Spill will migrate up the East Coast of the US.


"Much of the west coast of Florida has a low probability (1%–20%) for impact, but the Florida Keys, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale areas have a greater probability (61%–80%) due to the potential influence of the Loop Current."


If this senario plays out, the health threat to workers and volunteers will expand.


To read more about petroleum exposure and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900. 

Occupational Risks and Health Hazards to Oil Spill Workers & Volunteers

Video Highlight: Welcome Remarks by Harvey V. Fineberg, President, IOM

Several days ago the US Institutes of Medicine held a conference on the medical conditions potentially related to occupational exposures arising out of the gulf oil spill. The complete program,  Assessing the Human Health Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Institute of Medicine Workshop, is now available online.

To read more about petroleum exposure and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900. 

EPA Recommends Further Toxicity Studies of Gulf Oil Dispersants

The Environmental Protection Agency today released peer reviewed results from the first round of its own independent toxicity testing on eight oil dispersants. EPA conducted testing to ensure that decisions about ongoing dispersant use in the Gulf of Mexico continue to be grounded in the best available science. Additional testing is needed to further inform the use of dispersants. 


Mandated by the US EPA , British Petroleum (BP) was ordered to reduce the amount of dispersants being utilized. "BP shall implement measures to limit the total amount of surface and subsurface dispersant applied each day to the minimum amount possible. BP shall establish an overall goal of reducing dispersant application by 75% from the maximum daily amount used...."


One of the primary dispersants been utilized is Corexit(r) 9500. NALCO, the manufacturer warns on the material data safety sheet (MSDS): "Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing. Do not take internally. Avoid breathing vapor. Use with adequate ventilation. In case
of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. After contact with skin, wash immediately with plenty of soap and water."


"EPA's results indicated that none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the Gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity. While the dispersant products alone – not mixed with oil - have roughly the same impact on aquatic life, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 were generally less toxic to small fish and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were least toxic to mysid shrimp."


The EPA called for further testing. The next phase of EPA’s testing will assess the acute toxicity of multiple concentrations of Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil alone and combinations of Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil with each of the eight dispersants for two test species. 


To read more about petroleum exposure and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900. 

Louisiana Health Department Reports 162 Cases of Oil Spill Worker Illness

Louisiana DHH Releases Oil Spill-Related Exposure Information
162 Exposure-Related Cases; Officials Continue to Monitor Health Impacts

One hundred and sixty-two cases of oil spill exposure-related cases have been reported to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to date, according to its fourth surveillance report released today. One hundred and twenty-eight of those cases involved workers on oil rigs or workers involved in the oil spill clean-up efforts, while 34 were reported by the general public.

The Department is gathering data reported through its surveillance network of doctors, clinics, emergency care locations and medical facilities, which are reporting illnesses and injuries related to the oil spill for the ongoing database. Each exposure-related complaint is followed up on by DHH Office of Public Health staff.

This week's report also includes summaries of air surveillance and seafood surveillance data generated by state and federal agencies, including the EPA, the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, a private company working with BP, and the Louisiana departments of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Environmental Quality. The seafood data shows that 262 samples of various kinds of seafood have been sampled and tested for chemicals present in hydrocarbons.

Breakdown of Cases by Category:

• Of the workers who reported illnesses, 120 were male, eight were female. Of the general public, 9 were male, while 25 were female. Most of those individuals who reported illnesses were between the ages of 18 and 64.
• Most workers either utilized an emergency room or urgent care center, or a clinic or physician's office (104 and 21, respectively). Nineteen workers and two members of the general public with mild symptoms had short hospitalizations.

Questions about exposure-related illnesses can be directed to the Louisiana Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222. The Poison Center is staffed 24-hours a day and can provide medical management advice. To report an exposure-related illness, call 1-888-293-7020.

The full Oil Spill Surveillance Report is available here. The report will be generated by DHH weekly and posted on www.dhhemergencynews.com.

DHH's Office of Public Health, Section of Environmental Epidemiology & Toxicology gathers and analyzes information provided by surveillance sites, including hospital emergency departments, outpatient clinics, physician's offices and the Louisiana Poison Center.

To read more about petroleum exposure and workers' compensation click here.

Click here for more information on how Jon L Gelman can assist you in a claim for workers' Compensation claim benefits. You may e-mail Jon  Gelman or call 1-973-696-7900.